A hybrid sport allowing participation by all martial art and hand-to-hand combat styles. As a result, participants must be well rounded in all techniques in order to be successful. Despite an inaccurate perception by general public, the safety of the fighters is paramount in mixed martial arts events and the sport has proven itself to be much safer for participants than boxing or American football.

The accepted name for a competition format that blends striking, clinch and grappling.

Mixed martial arts or MMA is a term for the combat sport in which two competitors attempt to achieve dominance over one another by utilizing three general tactics: striking, finishing holds, and control. The rules allow the combatants to use a variety of martial arts techniques, including punches, kicks, joint-locks, chokes, takedowns and throws. Victory is normally gained through knock-out, submission (one fighter concedes victory to the other by tapping the mat or his opponent with his hand).